Egland: Understand sidewalk rules to keep walkers, bikers safe

To the Editor:
I spent last week working in downtown Luverne and was amazed to see all the walking traffic. Whether it was the dad pushing a baby stroller, the postal worker, a day care provider taking her children on an adventure, customers heading to downtown stores or businesses , others heading to an appointment, a master walking his dog or people heading to a restaurant for lunch, I was happy to see so many people on Main Street downtown Luverne.
However, I was shocked at the number of bicycles that also zipped down Main Street on the sidewalks. A dangerous sight to say the least. Kudos to the city of Luverne workers for freshening up the symbols on the corners of the streets with new paint; however, the message is not reaching our bicyclists. The symbols indicate no rollerblading or bike riding on the sidewalks. I talked with John Call to see what the city ordinance stated … I understand from our conversation that there is No Roller-skating, No Rollerblading and No Bicycling in the downtown business area. However, you can walk your bike through the downtown business area.
My intent here is to keep our downtown safe for everyone, pedestrians and bicyclists, by making the community aware of the potential problem, which can be easily solved by understanding the rules.
If you have any questions on the City Ordinance regarding this subject, please contact the city office.
Jean Egland
Luverne